Renacci Calls For Suspending DeWine’s Gas Tax, Slams DeWine For Opposing Tax Relief For Ohio Drivers

January 21, 2022

"That final 38 cents per gallon at the pump we pay is all thanks to Mike DeWine."

Mike DeWine just came out in opposition to any suspension in Ohio's shockingly high gas tax, warning Republicans in the legislature to leave his signature gas tax hike alone. Jim Renacci supports an immediate gas tax suspension and is calling out DeWine for hiking the state's gas tax by double digits in the first place:

Mike DeWine started his term as governor with a shocking proposal to increase the gas tax by 18 cents-per-gallon. This would have amounted to a $1.2 billion tax hike on working Ohioans and made Ohio's gas tax the fifth highest in the country.
Thanks to stiff resistance from conservative Republicans in the legislature, DeWine was only able to enact a 10.5 cent gas tax increase on fuel and a 19 cent increase on diesel, which still made Ohio's gas tax the tenth highest in the country. Ohio gas taxes are 38.5 cents per gallon and federal taxes add 18.4 cents. As of 2021, Ohio's gas tax is the 13th highest in the country.
Businesses warned that the 18 cent gas tax hike on diesel would get passed down to Ohio consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services.
Gas prices in Ohio started the year off at the highest they've been since 2014.

Jim Renacci issued the following statement in response:

"It's not just Joe Biden's war on American energy that is causing the price of gas to skyrocket. That final 38 cents per gallon at the pump we pay is all thanks to Mike DeWine, and if he had gotten his way it would have been even higher. With millions in federal infrastructure money now coming to Ohio, the least DeWine could do is give Ohio drivers a break and give us some relief from his gas tax, one of the highest in the country. Instead, he's governing like a blue state liberal and protecting his signature tax hike at all costs. I fully support gas tax relief and as governor I will work with the legislature to get it done. The people of Ohio can't wait any longer!"